Button-fastener.



L. C. HELLER.

BUTTON FASTENER APPLICATION man FEB, 21, 101::

:Paimrted Apr. 22, 1919;.

LYDIA O. HELLER, 0F CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed February 21, 1919. Serial No. 278,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYDIA C. HELLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a button fastener consisting of a single piece of spring wire and by means of which a button having a cloth or other shank may be detachably secured to a garment. To this end the improved fastener comprises two spring arms provided with offset pointed jaws which close together by spring action but which may be separated from each other when a button is to be attached or detached by pressing against said spring arms to force them toward each other. In attaching a button to a garment a bight or fold of the fabric is laid around the shank of the button, and the fabric and button shank are then pressed between the opened spring jaws. When pressure on the spring arms is released the pointed jaws will pierce the fabric and button shank by the stress of said spring arms and thus attach the but ton to the garment, and when the button is to be removed the spring arms are simply forced toward each other to open the said pointed jaws and thus disengage them from the shank of the button.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents the back of a portion of a garment with the improved fastening in place to attach a button thereto, and Fig. 1 is a side edge View of the same. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same looking from the top of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the improved spring fastener with the pointed jaws in opened position, and Fig. 1 is a similar view looking from the top of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a face view of a portion of a garment with a button having thread holes or eyes through which crossed threads have been passed to make a shank which may be engaged by the jaws of the improved button fastener; and Fig. 6 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and of the button fastener. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view showing the pointed holding jaws in closed position, and Fig. 8 is a top view of the jaws: of the fastener in connection with a shank button and a piece of fabric or garment, illustrating the operation of attaching a button.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes two spring arms connected by a spring coil 13 so arranged with reference to said arms as to have a tendency to spring said arms outward or away from each other. Offset laterally from the said spring arms, but integral therewith, are two pointed jaws 14 one of which is guided with reference to the other by means of a coil 15 integral with one of said spring arms and jaws. This coil 15 is formed by a few turns of wire on the top part 12 of one spring arm 12 around the top part 12 of the other spring arm 12 so as to hold the said top parts to gether side by side and thus maintain the jaws 1 1 in operative position or in register with each other.

The jaws 14 may be halved together at their adjacent ends as shown more clearly in Fig. 7, but this halving together is not really necessary when the fastening is made of fine steel spring wire.

When a button is to be attached to a fabric or garment a portion of the garment or fabric is laid around the shank of the button in a loop or fold, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and the spring arms are then pressed together as indicated in Fig. 3 to open the spring jaws as shown in Fig. 4; and when the loop or fold of the fabric and the button shank has been pressed between the opened jaws, as shown in Fig. 8, the said spring arms will be released and will force the pointed jaws through the fabric and button shank to attach the button to the garment or fabric, as denoted in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the invention provides a single piece spring-wire button fastener which may he used either in connection with a shank button or which may also be used in connection with an artificial shank formed by crossed threads passing through and through the eyes of the button, as denoted in Figs. 5 and 6, and which will therefore simulate a button attached to a garment by ordinary sewing threads. In attaching a button to a garment by threads, as just referred to, a bight or fold of the fabric will be inserted between the opened jaws 14 and the spring arms will then be released to enable the pointed jaws to pierce the bight or fold of the fabric which may then be flattened out and the jaws then opened a second time to be engaged with the artificial shank at the piece of spring wire comprising spring arms. back of the button and formed by the a spring coil connecting said arms, and off- 15 threads superposed on each other at the set pointed jaws carried by said arms, a top central part of the button. portion of one of said arms being formed 5 Having thus described my invention 1 into a coil encircling the top portion of the claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: other arm and thus serving to guide the 1. A button fastener consisting of a single said spring jaws and hold them in register 20 piece of spring wire comprising spring with each other, or approximately so.

arms, a spring coil connecting said arms, In testimony whereof I affix my signature. 10 and offset jaws carried by said arms and LYDIA C. HELLER.

having oppositely extending pointed parts Witnesses: substantially in line with each other. Mrs. H. S. APPENZELLAR,

2. A button fastener consisting of a single Mrs. W. D. SMALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

